The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins: ‘You can’t be apologetic because some arsehole thinks you’re a dick’

Watch the singer discusses critics, plus the 'sadness, drama and trauma' of fame in new NME interview

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins has spoken about the highs and lows of fame in a new interview with NME.

The British singer described the “much-publicised sadness, drama and trauma” that the band has gone through since their debut ‘Permission To Land’ sold 1.5 million copies in 2003.

Twelve years on, Hawkins says, “So many people get to my age and say ‘No regrets’. I think, ‘So many regrets that you may as well not think about them’. You learn a lot through regret, and shame… Having had two line-up changes in the past year, there might be a temptation to see The Darkness as a difficult band to be in, but it’s not. It’s an easy thing to be in, but a difficult thing to stay in.”

Hawkins has also responded to the harsh criticism they’ve receiving end of. “The Darkness has been subject to some harsh assessments… there are some mean people in the world but that doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself away and be apologetic just because some arsehole thinks you’re a dick. You can’t let that stop you from enjoying your life and doing what you were born to do. Because that’s bullying, you’d let the bullies win, and we all know what bullies are – cunts, fucking cunts. Not that one person has ever had the audacity to say that sort of thing to my face. So as far as I’m concerned, they’re all ghosts.”

“I do have some fond memories of being super successful and famous… I’ve met all my heroes, random folk have their opinions on me as a person [despite] having never met me – brilliant. But I’ve also learned how to fly a helicopter, which I don’t think I would have done if I had carried on working with my father on a building site.”

The Darkness will release ‘Last Of Our Kind’, their fourth record, on June 1. It follows on from 2012’s ‘Hot Cakes’.

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The group’s new drummer Emily Dolan left the band after only a few months in the band to pursue new projects. Dolan replaced founding member Ed Graham, who left The Darkness at the end of 2014.